Meet Rachel Carper | Social Media Manager & Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachel Carper and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Well, the first reason is my father. When I was growing up, I remember my father working after-hours in what little free time he had to build his business, which has since paid off, as he is now the co-owner and CTO of a leading software management company. I have so much respect for my father, and his ability to make his dreams become reality through hard work, dedication, and the support of those around him. Because of him, I knew that I always had the option to try to forge my own path. After I graduated college and decided to move to Beaufort, I quickly discovered the lack of marketing agencies (specifically digital), and I struggled to find a job in line with my intended career. As weeks went by, I wasn’t getting callbacks for anything, including restaurant and hospitality jobs. Starting to lose hope in my success in a new city, I took a look at my savings account, called my dad, and within a couple of days, I was the official owner of Rachel Carper Media LLC. Shortly after, I was scrolling through Facebook trying scout potential clients when I saw a post from a new local news publication in Beaufort. I visited their website and emailed the editor, introducing myself and offering to help grow the new organization. I jumped headfirst into writing news articles, and through the editor’s connections, I was able to meet some of the most well-connected people in Beaufort, including the Mayor, a City Councilman, and a former House Representative! Just weeks after I made the jump to start my own business, I had become a local news writer, and the social media manager for local government candidates in Beaufort. If that’s not a sign from the universe, I don’t know what is!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My career has definitely taken a different path than most. When I was growing up, I was always interested in being a social media ambassador for the companies and products that I liked, but I was always too young or busy with sports and high school restaurant jobs. When I got to College of Charleston in 2019, I had the opportunity to be an ambassador for a nearby apartment geared towards students. It was a small gig, just a couple Instagram posts per month for about three months. After that, I was a sophomore, and starting to look for summer internships, when I stumbled across a new startup app looking for marketing interns. I applied, interviewed, and got the position, which started in May. Just weeks after starting my internship, the CMO left the company, and I, the college intern, was the entire marketing team for the remainder of the internship. After many successes and failures, I was hired and later promoted to Chief Community Officer, where I created content for local businesses and managed teams of influencers in Charleston, Charlotte, New York City, and Nashville. After about two and a half years, the app dissolved due to lack of funding, but it did open the door for me to create freelance content for local cafes and restaurants in town, and later led to me working with Anthony Marini at The Pass and managing their famous social media account. Since moving to Beaufort and seeing the lack of social media career opportunities, I feel as if the universe has pushed me to take the risk and start my own business, and since making that jump, so many “miracle” opportunities have fallen into my lap.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Beaufort is such an amazing place to visit, and to live. You have to stay at the historic Beaufort Inn, it’s a beautiful large pink historic house, right in the center of downtown. My favorite coffee shop and spot for brunch is Magnolia Cafe, or, when I’m in the mood for a great donut, Maynard’s in Port Royal is the best. Waterfront Park is the crown jewel of the city and truly shows the beauty of the Lowcountry. What I love most about the Beaufort area is it’s unique landscape. The large oak trees and spanish moss dangling from the branches along the marsh is easily one of the most beautiful sights in the world. The city has multiple festivals throughout the year that are very unique to Beaufort, such as the Water Festival or the Shrimp Festival, and the Harvest Festival in October.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are two people that deserve much more than a shoutout for their role in my career journey. My former boss, now current client, Anthony Marini took a chance on me almost two years ago in Charleston, SC, after an Instagram Reel I created featuring their business, The Pass, went viral and was seen by hundreds of thousands of people. I hadn’t graduated college yet, but Anthony always respected my knowledge and expertise when it came to running The Pass’ famous Instagram account. Together, Anthony and I have built this account into a living, breathing being that directly influences people’s daily decisions. After I moved to Beaufort and told Anthony what I was up to with my new business, it wasn’t long before we were working together again as he prepared to launch another restaurant concept. Anthony has always had faith in me, and has always encouraged me to “think outside the box” and take chances. My second shoutout is my mentor, Carrie Chappell. Carrie is the editor of the news publication I initially reached out to when I first started my business, aka the person who launched me into the Beaufort community and introduced me to some of the most well-connected people in the city. As soon as we met, Carrie saw something in me that has opened doors that I never thought possible in my career, especially after moving to a new city. She is a huge role model for me as she’s also building her own small business with the news publication and a digital design company.

Website: https://rachelcarpermedia.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachel.carper

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelcarper/

Other: My website is very generic right now and I’m in the process of building a new one with a domain name – So maybe don’t include the website in this one but I can send you a link to include later on!

Image Credits
Andrew Cebulka (photo in the window with The Pass bag)
Stevie Hart (photo in white dress)